Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #2)(94)

Instead of stepping back, he leaned closer. “I wanted to get a chance to talk to you!” he shouted over the rock music and buzzing sound of conversation. “I wanted to—”

“Get your hands off m-me!” I yelled back. “Now.”

Titus dropped them, but he didn’t step back.

We were still standing close together, the crowd of people streaming into the symposium swirling around us.

“I wanted to apologize!” Titus shouted louder, offering a sheepish smile. “I was wrong to target you and …” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, now that I’m a guard. It’s …”

He kept talking, but his voice faded away as I stopped listening. I didn’t care what he had to say.

I stared at his moving lips, searching my brain for empathy or some deep-seated urge to forgive him. I sank into myself, looking for goodness, for the ability to forgive and heal. This was the perfect opportunity to be the bigger, more mature person.

I stood on my tiptoes, so he had to look up at me.

“Don’t t-talk to me.” I smiled coldly. “Ever again.”

I’d found nothing inside—just rage.

Titus’s jaw clamped shut, his eyes narrowing, anger sparking in them.

“I’m trying to be better,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’m sorry for what I did. You were never really an abandoned mutt and … I’m really sorry and I would really appreciate it if you accepted my apology and—”

I made a mocking sad face back at him. “Apology not accepted.”

So, this is about my newfound heritage. Asshole.

“No.” Titus shook his head with agitation, his neck turning a splotchy scarlet as his chest bumped against mine. “You don’t understand … I’m being sincere. I’ve been working with a therapist. I feel like it’s—”

I laughed harshly. “Try a shovel, it’s cheaper.”

He frowned with confusion. Someone had clearly never heard of the good old whack to the head.

He continued. “Anyway, I feel—”

“It’s not my job to care about your feelings.”

Titus bared his teeth. “Stop interrupting me. It’s—”

“It’s annoying, isn’t it?” I said. “When someone doesn’t give a fuck about how you feel.”

Titus shook his head, bodies streaming faster around us as more people tried to run inside the room.

“I know what I did was wrong!” He pointed at my crown. “It’s important to the House of Dionysus that we have good relations with the House of Hades and—”

“So your House is making you do this?” My smile fell and brow furrowed in (mock) concern. “How pathetic.”

The scarlet crept up his face. “Why are you acting like this? You never used to talk so much. You were quiet and you didn’t—”

“Don’t you dare.” I batted his hand away and raised my own finger to his nose. “Don’t pretend you know anything about me. Just b-because I didn’t say it aloud didn’t mean I wasn’t thinking it.”

He ran a hand roughly through his messy red hair. “It’s just you’re not listening to what I’m trying to … Wait, what were you thinking back then?”

I leaned closer. “I used to wish that you were dead.”

“Excuse me?” He recoiled as he stared at my eyes, which must have filled with blood. “What did you just say?” he asked. “You’re the heiress to the House of Hades! You can’t just speak like that. Where’s your honor and—”

“Walk away before you embarrass yourself further. I’ll never forgive you because—” I stabbed my finger into his chest “—I don’t fucking want to.”

Rock music blared around us.

Mozart would have hated this.

I smiled wider.

Titus sputtered with outrage. “You Chthonics really are all fucking crazy.” He made a face. “You probably helped them free Medusa—you’re all murderous psychopaths.”

I tipped my head back and laughed.

From his aghast expression, he didn’t think this was how our conversation would go.

There was a commotion around us as three Olympians were physically thrown out of the way to make room.

“There you are,” Augustus said. “We’ve been looking for you.”

Kharon stiffened as he realized who I was talking to. “Is he harassing you?” he asked quietly, his voice filled with promises of carnage. “Do you need me to … handle him?”

Titus recoiled again, holding up his hands in a surrender gesture. Pathetic.

“No.” I led Kharon and Augustus away into the crowd. “I was harassing him.”

Augustus shook his head, but the corners of his lips pulled up.

Kharon smirked down at me with pride. “Excellent work.”

For the first time in days, I smiled and I actually meant it.

“A toast!” Zeus shouted a few feet away. The music stopped with a metallic screech and everyone in the room fell silent.

Zeus grabbed a drink off a tray and held it up.

“To the younger Chthonics starting their rounds tomorrow.” The glass of ambrosia sparked in his hand. “May you prove yourself half as competent as your impressive House leaders.”